TikTok Star Khaby Lame Detained by ICE for Visa Overstay, Departs U.S. Voluntarily

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Khabane “Khaby” Lame, the world’s most-followed TikTok creator with over 162 million followers, was detained on June 6, 2025, at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, for immigration violations.

According to an official ICE statement, Lame, a 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian influencer, entered the United States on April 30, 2025, and overstayed the terms of his visa. He was granted voluntary departure on June 6 and has since left the country.

The news of Lame’s detention sparked widespread speculation and debate across social media platforms, fueled initially by unverified claims from conservative activist Bo Loudon. Loudon, who describes himself as a supporter of President Donald Trump, posted on social media on June 6, alleging that Lame, whom he labelled a “far-left illegal alien,” had been arrested by ICE and was being held at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada.

He claimed to have personally reported Lame for overstaying an “invalid visa” and evading taxes, sharing a screenshot purportedly from ICE’s detainee locator website. However, searches on ICE’s official detainee database yielded no results for Lame, leading to initial skepticism about the claims.

ICE’s confirmation to Men’s Journal on June 7 clarified that Lame was detained briefly for overstaying his visa but was not formally arrested. The agency stated, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations. Lame was granted voluntary departure on June 6 and has since departed the U.S.” This statement dispelled earlier rumours of a prolonged detention or impending deportation, confirming that Lame was allowed to leave voluntarily on the same day.

Lame, born in Senegal on March 9, 2000, and raised in Italy since the age of one, gained global fame during the COVID-19 pandemic after losing his job as a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy. His silent, deadpan comedy videos, where he mocks overly complicated “life hack” videos with simple solutions and a signature hand gesture, have made him a cultural phenomenon.

Lame became TikTok’s most-followed creator in June 2022, surpassing Charli D’Amelio, and has since amassed a net worth estimated at $16 million through brand deals with companies like Hugo Boss, Fortnite, and Walmart. He has also ventured into acting, appearing in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) and starring in the Tubi series Khaby Is Coming to America.

Supporters of Lame expressed shock and frustration, emphasizing his status as an Italian citizen since 2022 and his contributions as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. “I don’t care about the politics, Khaby makes us laugh,” one user posted on social media, reflecting the sentiment of fans who see him as a global entertainer.

Others criticized Loudon’s claims as politically motivated, noting that Italian citizens can enter the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, raising questions about the nature of Lame’s visa violation. Legal experts pointed out that overstaying a visa does not necessarily equate to “illegal” status, especially for someone with Lame’s international profile and documented citizenship.

Loudon’s posts, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views, also drew scrutiny for their inflammatory language and unverified claims of tax evasion, which ICE did not address in its statement. Community notes on social media challenged his narrative, pointing out that Lame primarily resides in Italy and that the ICE detainee database showed no record of his custody, likely because his detention was brief and resolved with voluntary departure.

Critics argued that the incident highlighted broader issues of misinformation and politicization of immigration issues, particularly in the context of tightened immigration policies under the Trump administration, which took office in January 2025.

Lame has not publicly commented on the incident as of June 8, 2025, but he has continued to post on TikTok and Instagram, including a video from a bookstore, suggesting he is no longer in the U.S. His silence on the matter has left fans speculating about the circumstances of his detention and departure.

The controversy comes amid heightened immigration enforcement in the U.S., with President Donald Trump delivering on campaign promises to strengthen border controls and increase deportations.

Aspects of these policies have faced legal challenges in U.S. courts, adding a broader context to Lame’s case. While his detention was brief and resolved without formal charges, the incident has reignited debates about immigration, celebrity status, and the role of social media in amplifying unverified claims.